Heartbreak before happiness. Jersey Shore‘s Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola revealed she suffered a devastating pregnancy loss last spring, but later that day got engaged to her boyfriend of two years, Justin May.
On the Thursday, November 21, episode of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, Sammi, 37, explained how she’d been undergoing IVF treatments in hopes of having a child with Justin. She became pregnant, but found out the embryo ultimately didn’t take.
“This has been a very long process, it’s been a lot of shots, it’s been a lot of hormones,” the reality star tearfully revealed in a confessional. “Just the thought of even being pregnant was such a magical moment for me, and just to have that taken away — it’s devastating for me.”
Sammi shared how Justin was so supportive of her following their heartbreak.
“When I delivered the news to Justin, he was like, ‘OK, we’re going to do it again. We’ll take a break.’ He’s so positive and uplifting,” she added. “He’s so special to me, and I just am so thankful for him. He’s been by my side through this whole thing. I just love him.”
The same evening in March, the couple got engaged after Justin took Sammi out for a birthday dinner with friends and family. He got down on one knee and popped the question in front of everyone close to the reality star.
“I am just like, in awe,” Sammi gushed about becoming a bride-to-be while showing off her diamond engagement ring. “I’ve dreamt of this moment my entire life.”
“I feel like the luckiest girl in the world,” she continued. “Justin coming into my life made my life a million times better. He is just everything I could ever ask for in a man. He’s patient. He’s supportive and I just love and adore him so much.”
Sammi and Justin began dating following her split from ex-fiancé Christian Biscardi in the summer of 2021. The couple went Instagram official in November of that year.
The duo took a major step in their relationship when they bought a house together in August 2023.
Sammi announced their engagement in an April Instagram post, writing, “Fiancé,” in the caption of photos of the couple and shared that Justin popped the question on March 16. “The easiest question I’ve ever answered … happiest & luckiest girl in the world. I’ll love you forever and then some. Can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Justin gushed over his future bride, sharing a carousel of photos of the couple while she flashed her new ring bling. “She said yes! Can’t wait to Marry my best friend! Love you so much babe!” he wrote. “Can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you!”
The New Jersey native exclusively told Life & Style in September about her decision to show her IVF journey on Jersey Shore.
“I couldn’t hide it. It was like, I just came back to the show, but I’m going through this, and it was like, I don’t wanna leave the show again and step back from it when I just came back,” Sammi explained. “So it was actually a really hard decision to make.”
She added, “But I’ve learned through this whole process that by talking about it more, it makes it a little bit more easier to go through. Maybe [it] will help other people relate or maybe somebody else is going through a similar situation.”
